1. The burden concerning Egypt. Behold, the LORD rides upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall tremble at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.
2. And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight everyone against his brother, and everyone against his neighbor; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.
3. And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in its midst; and I will destroy its counsel: and they shall seek after the idols, and the charmers, and the mediums, and the wizards.
4. And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them,
5. And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.
6. And they shall turn the rivers foul; and the brooks of Egypt shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and rushes shall wither.
7. The paper reeds by the river, by the mouth of the river, and everything sown by the river, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more.
8. The fishermen also shall mourn, and all they that cast hooks into the river shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish.
9. Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave fine linen, shall lose hope.
10. And they shall be crushed in their purposes, all that make wages will be grieved.
11. Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counselors of Pharaoh give foolish counsel: how do you say unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?
12. Where are they? where are your wise men? and let them tell you now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts has purposed upon Egypt.
13. The princes of Zoan have become fools, the princes of Memphis are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the cornerstones of its tribes.
14. The LORD has mixed a perverse spirit in its midst: and they have caused Egypt to err in her every work, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit.
15. Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, palm branch or bulrush, may do.